Are you suffering from the winter blues?

Living in Southern California, we are lucky to have amazingly stable weather all year round. In fact, as I write this blog, I am looking out of my office window and into the sunshine. However, as a Michigan native, I am all too familiar with brutally cold and snowy winters. Even more, I have seen first-hand how these weather patterns can severely impact people's moods and quality of life.
 
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a mood disorder characterized by symptoms of depression during the winter months, despite experiencing primarily normal mental health throughout the other seasons. While many people can recognize “depression” when they are feeling sad or blue, for many people, symptoms of depression often go beyond just sadness. Other indicators that you may be experiencing depression include: Irritability, fatigue, poor sleeping (over sleeping or disturbed sleep), lack of pleasure in previously enjoyable activities, social withdrawal, poor concentration, negative thoughts, worries, change in eating habits, and increased bodily complaints (such as headaches, stomach distress, and body pain). Does any of this sound familiar to you?

For those of you who suffer with SAD, or are just merely feeling “off” during the winter months, there are many things that can be done to make this time of year much less stressful, and even ENJOYABLE! Wintertime makes up approximately 3 months of the year (and in some areas, quite a bit longer!). That is, at minimum, 25% of your year—and your life! In my opinion, this is far too much time in your life to spend feeling blue…especially when there are ways to make it better!

But the reality is, many people experience these types of emotional reactions in the winter, and the good news is that there are specific strategies to help manage these feelings. Whether you have these feelings in the winter, or all year round, here are three simple ways to help reduce depression:

1)     Increase Socialization with Friends and Family
 
2)     Increase Exercise
 
3)     Increase Pleasurable Activities

Many people who experience mood changes during the winter are going through this, in part, because they feel disconnected from their regular routine and are cooped up inside of the house. And many people who are depressed in general, tend to isolate and stop doing things that they once enjoyed. A common struggle is how to give your body and mind the same outlets that you may get during the other months when the weather is not so constricting. Oftentimes, when people are stuck inside of the house, they spend a lot more time worrying or thinking of things that are not going well. And frequently, these negative thoughts are dancing around in your head even when you do not realize it! One of the best solutions to help yourself disconnect from these negative, and ultimately unhelpful, thoughts, is to distract yourself. Doing something that you enjoy, on a regular basis, is a natural protection against depression. However, it is often more difficult to come up with ideas of what to do when you are stuck inside or already down in the dumps, so here are some ideas:

• Take a long bath                                
• Write/Journal
• Call a friend
• Watch a movie
• Read a book
• Do a crossword puzzle
• Draw, color, paint
• Clean
• Cook a new recipe
• Volunteer
• Fix something around the house
• Organize old pictures
• Jigsaw Puzzle
• Arts & crafts
• Read a magazine or the newspaper
• Look up a subject you’ve always wanted to learn about
• Take a class
• Play/learn an instrument
• Organize a room in your house
• Donate old clothes
• Go to lunch with a friend
• Write your autobiography or a story
• Go to church
• Go to yoga
• Sing a song
• Play a game
• Write a poem or song
• Make a to-do list & tackle it
• Go to an exercise class
• Be there for someone else
• Take special care of your pets
• Take an art class
• Write your beliefs
• Send cards to loved ones
• Clean out drawers and cabinets
• Dance
• Go to a new restaurant
• Go to the gym
• Visit with family or friends
• Go to a coffee shop
• Color
• Make a magazine collage
• Change your photo frames
• Plan a party
• Make a list of short and long term goals and steps to meet them
• Do something nice for someone
• Laugh out loud
• Play solitaire
• Search the internet
• Go to a sporting event
• Redecorate a room
• Count your blessings – Make a list of everything that’s going well

Although this list may seem very simple, I encourage you to pick a few and give them a try on a consistent basis. Often when we struggle with negative thoughts and feelings, we don’t feel like doing anything. This is the depression taking charge. Practicing something pleasurable over and over again is an important way to start changing how you feel. Remember, feelings follow behaviors, so a great way to start feeling upbeat again, is to do something—put your body in motion and distract your mind from negativity.

Aside from these three ways to combat your depression, it is also important that you seek professional help if your symptoms persist or become more severe. Talk therapy, even just in the winter months, can be an excellent way to help manage your feelings during these times. In addition, some people decide to use medications to help mange their moods during this time. If you’re interested in this, consult your doctor or a psychiatrist.

Is it Spring yet? 
 
 

All the best to you and yours,

Dr. Sarah Ray
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